March 17, 2015
archive:2015
Winter Blessings
Hello Bonnie Mohr fans! Alyssa here again. For those of you who do not know me - I am the "social media gal" for Bonnie and her studio, so my job is to help Bonnie with her Facebook, Twitter, blog, etc. and this week, I'm taking over her blog ;) The following is a description of winter and all of its special moments and feelings. Enjoy! *** There's nothing quite like a winter evening in Minnesota - the stillness of the open fields at night, where the corn stood tall and the soybeans and alfalfa once waved in the summer wind; the familiar sight of your foggy breath when you walk outside to your car; the bright stars that glitter against the black night sky and the way the moon seems to illuminate the whole earth and you can see across the land for miles and miles. Even the naked trees are beautiful along the Midwestern horizon as their frost covered branches catch the moonlight and shimmer as you pass by. And then of course, there are the radio stations that begin to play Christmas music, which sets the mood and adds to the beauty of a December evening drive, especially the "pa rum pum pum pum" of Bing Crosby's "Little Drummer Boy" or the soothing voice of Nat King Cole as he croons "O Holy Night." I should admit that I am probably biased towards the winter season because of past employment. For six years, I worked at a Christmas tree farm nestled in the rolling landscape of tall white pine trees a few miles outside of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The tree farm reminds me of one of those special places you seem to only see in the movies, where families, dressed in furry hats and puffy snow pants, gather together and hike through the forests of trees, searching for the best one to place in their living rooms. The kids drudge through the snow in their bulky boots as Moms and Dads carry the bow saws and pull along the sleds for loading the tree. On site, there is a large custom-built log cabin with a huge front porch filled with Christmas wreaths and Christmas swags, as well as tin buckets filled with winterberry branches and boughs of holly. How lovely is it that one can expect the similar cheery experience at Bonnie Mohr Studio in the winter! The Studio is a warm refuge from the cold December weather (though with our warm temperatures lately, one hardly seeks out the hot cider and hot coffee, but I must say, Becky's delectable cookies disappear rather quickly.) The Studio, like the cabin at the tree farm, is adorned in green garland and twinkling lights, and Christmas music hums along in the background, but instead of wreaths and Christmas swags, shoppers gaze in front of the paintings, trying to decide on the perfect piece for their homes. Naturally, their enthusiastic personalities and friendly faces make the Studio a very inviting place to work. So winter, I welcome you with open arms and may all of you be blessed with magical evenings this December. Cheers! Alyssa